Reserve des Célestin CNP 2001

Parker 98 points: The nearly perfect 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins was the best tasting yet of this cuvee, which unquestionably vindicates Henri Bonneau’s remarkable elevage system, in this case, 6+ years in ancient, mold-covered wood, kept in cellars that smell like a men’s locker room that hasn’t been sanitized in a few centuries. The unbelievable complexity of this wine’s aromatics has everything Chateauneuf du Pape should be. Smelling like freshly slaughtered game in a meat-packing house, with roasted herbs, and a Provencal open-air market, the savage bouquet is redolent of flowers, meat blood, herbs, spices, and just about everything needed to satisfy the olfactory senses. Deep, voluptuous, and extraordinarily profound, this is a magnificent wine that has added so much weight and complexity that Bonneau’s magic is capturing it at its peak of perfection as he intends to bottle it immediately after the 2007 harvest, and release it in early 2008. It should be drinkable within a year after bottling, as his wines often seem to go through an awkward post-bottling stage, and last for 20-25+ years. This wine captures the essence of Henri Bonneau ... vigneron and guardian of the most traditional of all Chateauneuf du Papes. 

I can’t say enough about the great Henri Bonneau, who seems to be a bigger-than-life character in the spiritual rather than physical sense, and who is an inspiration for every young producer in the Rhone Valley. It is a privilege to taste there, and I am thrilled with how well the tastings went this year.